(SHOE-ma)The dschuma is a VAMPIRIC WITCH spirit from Romanian lore. Looking like either a young virgin or an old hag, it is covered with cholera that it spreads wherever it goes. At night, it can be heard wailing in pain, as the disease is worse then. The dschuma cannot be destroyed, but it can be made to leave an area. Seven old women must spin, weave, and sew a scarlet shirt all in one night, without speaking, and then leave it in the woods for the dschuma to find. The vampire has a particular vulnerability to the cold and very often has no clothes of its own. As soon as it finds the shirt, the dschuma will put it on and leave the region, perhaps as a token of appreciation. If seven old women are not available, seven maidens can be used in their place. However, the dschuma will take its time when it decides to leave.Source: Gerard, The Land Beyond the Forest, 202; Guiley, The Complete Vampire Companion, 81; The Nineteenth Century, 140